Another side of me
by drumgirl94
Summary: Follow Rika and Ryo into a conversation about serious stuff, feelings, family, etc...


**My second story, little different from Adventure Lake...(little? totally ;-) )**

**hope you like it**

**Enjoy Rika and Ryo talking about some serious stuff, but also ... well, just read :-)**

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It was one of these days. Nothing special happened so far and Rika was sitting on her porch and thought about Renamon. It was not a month that had passed after the D-Reaper Incident, so the Tamers missed their Digimon like hell. Rika was hurt, too, but she didn't show it to anybody. She never showed any feelings to anybody. Well, okay, that's not true.

One day ago Rika got a visitor. She was surprised. 'Who could it be?' It was already 9 p.m. and her guardians were out for different reasons. Her mother was on business-travel in America and her grandma was at her aunts.

Rika stood up from the couch and went to the front door. It rang again. "Yeah, I'm coming, Jesus!" She was annoyed. While opening the door she hissed: "Damn, have you looked at the…" "Sorry Pumpkin." Rika blushed. "Time…", she said with a calm whisper. "I know it's late, but…" It took her a few seconds to find her breath, but finally she managed to say: "Speak up, Akiyama!" He didn't say anything. First Rika was bugged, but then she looked at him and saw his eyes. Normally they're blue like the ocean itself but at that moment they were red. He had cried.

The girl stepped aside and signaled him to come in. He stepped inside, took off his shoes and Rika guided him to the living room. "Sit down", she said while bringing a glass and a bottle of coke in. Ryo took a seat on the couch and opened his jacket; pulling out a movie. 'What is wrong with him? That's not the Ryo Akiyama I know…' She was sort of worried. "I thought…we could watch a DVD." Trying to bring the sunny boy-smile up he couldn't hold back, one lonely tear ran down his cheek. Rikas protective sense came up and she sat down beside him. "Can I use your bathroom, please!", he slowly asked, forcing himself not to cry in front of her. "Down the hall, first door on the right!" She pointed the way and he literally ran down the hallway and disappeared in the guests' bathroom.

He locked the door and sank down to the floor. Hot tears broke from his eyes, each one hurting him like needles on his face. It was just too much for him at that moment. He lost everything and hoped, he would find shelter near her. But he couldn't even find the strength to tell her, what was going on.

He wasn't that kind of guy that cried much, but in his situation even Chuck Norris would have cried. He grinned at that thought, but a new wave of tears crushed down on him. He stood up and watched himself in the mirror. "Just look at you! You are a mess!", he told himself. 'Alone and too much of a coward to tell the girl you're in love with, what is going on, even though she would understand and make you feel better. Probably even hug you.' "You're just another looser in your family. Just like your father always said!" He screamed at his reflection, more tears pouring over the bank of his eyes. [I'm not sure about this one, so please tell me, if I can write it that way]

After about five minutes Rika followed him and stood in front of the door. She listened, could hear him whimper and knocked quietly: "Ryo?"

He didn't hear it. He was mad at what he saw in the mirror, thousands of thoughts hit him and not a single one of them being positive. The boy clenched a fist; his whole body shaking in anger. He screamed and hit the glass that showed his miserable image. Broken pieces and blood were falling to the ground and Ryo stepped back; his back against the wall across the door, sinking down to the floor again.

Rika hit the door hard with her fist: "Open up! What are you doing in there!" She took a few steps backwards and slammed the door. 'Whatever is going on in there, it can't be good.' The door swung open and Rika saw…a horrible image. Ryos hands, shirt and trousers covered in blood, an empty gaze in his eyes while he was looking up at the ceiling, not able to say anything.

"Oh my god, Ryo…" She tried to pick him up and sat him down on the edge of the bathtub. She was the one with tears in her eyes now: "Gosh, what is wrong with you? I'm really worried about you." She took a towel, soaked it a bit and tried to wash away the blood from his hands and forearms. He hissed in pain and Rika stopped immediately. She took the tweezers out of the medicine shelf and removed the little pieces of glass from his fingers. It wasn't a nice sight, his whole hand was sliced.

After she got the last piece she could see out of his wounds she gave him a wet towel and said gently: "Press it onto the wound and come with me." She led him to her room and told him to sit down in the chair at her desk. "I'll get you some clean clothes and try to find moms med kit. Just wait here, okay?" He didn't even nod so Rika kneeled down in front of him, looking up into his eyes. "Ryo, I'm really worried about you. Just show some reaction!"

Finally he looked down at her. She sighted in relief. "I'll be right back, just wait here, okay?", she asked again. With a dry throat he managed to let out a quiet "Okay" and she left the room.

'Why is she even doing this? Does she care about me? Does she REALLY care about ME?' His brain was in overdrive.

Rika came back kneeled down in front of him again and doctored his wounded hand. After she was done, she kept his hand in hers and looked up: "And now you're telling me, what is going on." He hesitated. "I'm scared Ryo. First you arrive at my place, red eyed, then you lock yourself in my bathroom and smash the mirror. What is going on?" Again, he didn't respond, but he looked Rika in the eyes.

"Promise me, you won't leave me, Rika!", he said with tears in his eyes. "Of course not!" The girl tightened the grip around his hand and smiled gently. Ryo couldn't hold himself together and wrapped his arms around her neck, his unexpected movement knocking Rika down and made her sit on the ground. She blushed but placed her arms around him, too, her hand gently rubbing his back: "It's okay, Ryo…now tell me what's wrong with you…please."

"I was born, that's what's wrong!", he cried into her shoulder. "What are you talking about, boy?" She couldn't believe his statement.

"Everything I do goes wrong, everyone hates me and leaves me behind, my friends don't respond to my calls and nobody gives a fucking damn about how I feel! I'm always the sunny boy, nothing can hurt Ryo, he's always happy…but I'm not! I'M JUST NOT!" Again, hot, burning tears left his eyes.

"Ryo, you know that this is NOT true!", she answered in a whisper. "Then why is nobody responding to my calls?" "Well, maybe because…" "Nobody likes me…NOBODY!", he interrupted her. "You big twerp, just listen to me! Takato is at his aunts place and has a romantic week at the sea with Jeri. And Henry is on vacation with Alice…in America. And if nobody likes you, how come you are at my place and I'M holding you right now, just trying to calm you down, being there for you while you're miserable and cheer you up? Yeah, you're right…NOBODY likes you!" A tear dropped down on Ryos cheek as he looked up to see Rikas face.

"Just because things aren't as you wish they were, doesn't mean the whole world is against you…there will always be somebody that care about you…you just have to…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath while he slowly pushed himself up and sat in front of her, whipping the tears from his eyes.

"You just have to trust them, Ryo."

He swallowed, his throat as dry as a desert. "Yeah…and because I trusted him, my dad left me." The girl widened her eyes. "What…what do you mean?" He took a deep breath and reached in his pocket, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it over to her:

_Hello selfish,_

_now you got what you always wanted…_

_being on your own…once and for all_

_Don't try to find me, you'd fail anyway…_

_I hope your life is as funny as you always imagined it…_

_if not…GOOD_

_cause that's how life is_

_but will never learn your lesson_

_You're just a failure!_

_Goodbye,_

_Forever_

Now it was Rikas turn to swallow hard. She looked at Ryo who faced the wall to their left: "I found this note a few days ago…I thought, he was kidding, but when he didn't answered my phone calls and didn't came back home…I couldn't believe that he did that…still can't. I tried to reach the guys, left them voicemails, but no answer, too. Well, I didn't know, they weren't here, so…

I thought, everyone would've abandoned me…I didn't want to bother you with it, because of…well obvious reasons. You never liked me, so I figured, why should I ask for her help…?"

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain rushing through his cheek. Rika had slapped him and cried: "You stupid idiot, how do you even dare think such a thing?! After the D-Reaper incident we were as close as friends could possibly be…sometimes even closer and you thought THAT?! I can't believe it! I would be the last person, THE LAST PERSON that would ever hate you. I thought I'd proven it to you several times. What ON EARTH was on your mind when you thought that?" She sounded angry but also hurt.

Ryo wasn't able to answer, he just realized what a jackass he was right now…

He got up and whispered: "Rika, I…" The boy turned around to leave the room but she caught his arm: "You think you get away with that? Damn Ryo, you can't always run from your problems…" "Rika, just let go…I'm just a jackass, I hurt you." "Then just apologize, damn it! Is it really this difficult for you to leave your fucking ego behind, just for one second?!" He turned again, facing the girl. It was quiet for a while, then he took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes: "Why do you even want me to apologize? I mean…just look at me, I'm a mess, a jackass and I hurt you…why do you still want me stay?" She didn't break the eye contact nor let go of his hands: "Because I care about you, Ryo."

He smiled briefly: "But why? I try to, but I can't understand that…There's no reasonable explanation, I don't even deserve it…I…" "Oh please, just shut up, will you? Sometimes there are things in life that can't be explained or doesn't even make sense…It's just…" She forced herself not to look away. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be the person I am today…You…sort of changed me, Hero-Boy." Rika blushed slightly. "You showed me a few things in life, nobody else ever could…First I felt weird, wouldn't even admit it to myself, but…" Now she looked away and just whispered: "I think…I really like you Ryo."

He smiled and couldn't help but hug her…that was the best thing that could possibly happen at that night. And he was surprised that she hug him back. There was only one thing, he could do right know. "Did you just admit that you have a crush on me, Wildcat?" he teased her. Without breaking the body contact she softly hit his chest with her fist. Rika smiled: "Never thought, you would hear THAT, huh Hotshot?"

Ryo just pressed her at his body. He kissed her head from above and said: "Thank you, Pumpkin." They stood like this for quite a while. Finally Rika said with a smile: "I'm so relieved that that's out…It was killing me." She sighted.

Suddenly they heard someone enter Rikas Room. The two of them let go while Rikas face heated up and got red like a tomato. It was her grandma Seiko: "Sorry dear, I thought you were asleep, I…Oh, you got a visitor." She looked at the two young teenagers, smiled and said: "Well, I better go. Sorry for disturbing you…"

She wanted to go, but Ryo raised his voice: "You didn't disturb us. I'm the one that has to apologize…" "It's okay young man…just tell me, what you're doing here at this time of the day." Her voice was friendly and she didn't seem to be angry about him being here or Rika having a boy visiting her at 11 p.m.

Ryo explained: "I just had one hell of a day and needed somebody to talk. Besides, I'm here for quite a while now, I didn't just got here…I…" He seemed nervous what made Rika grin. She never thought, she would see the legendary Tamer nervous or struggling to find the right words. He shook his head: "Where are my manners? My name is Ryo Akiyama, a pleasure to meet you."

The Woman answered still smiling: "I'm Rikas grandma, Seiko Hata. You can call yourself happy, that your moms not here, Rika. She would have made a scene right now." Rika looked to the ground, still red-cheeked: "Yeah…thanks for not doing the same grandma…" "Well, I just call it a day and pretend I wasn't in here…and don't worry, I won't tell Rumiko." With a wink she closed the door: "Good night."

Rika turned to Ryo: "What now?" The boy laid his head into his neck and sighted, scratching his head with one hand: "I don't know. You think your grandma knows?" The girl sat down on her bed. It took a moment for her to answer: "Honestly…I can't think straight right now! It's just…so much that happened today…" He sat down beside her, his sunny boy smile back on his face: "You should get some sleep, Wildcat. Thanks…for everything tonight."

An awkward silence came up after that till Ryo got up: "I should get going now." "But where do you wanna go? Home?" Ryo got silent again. "Do…do you wanna stay here?", she said bright-red-headed. He was positively surprised: "You want me to stay? With you?" She nodded: "I don't want you to be all alone. I'm just keeping in mind, what you did here, a few hours earlier." "Thanks. But I can't take that…" "Well, then I have to force you, to stay here", Rika said with a sheepish, playful grin.

Ryo laughed: "Okay, before you hurt me…I stay." He went back to her and pulled her up from the bed and right into his arms by taking her hands. She looked surprised and blushed again. 'Damn, it will take a lot of time to get used to that.' She smiled and let him hold her tight and close. "I love you, Pumpkin, I always did." Her smile widened up: "I can't believe I'm saying this, but…" She looked up to him. "I guess…I feel the same, Hotshot!"

They would figure out how to handle the future, but right now, they just wanted to be with each other. Nothing could harm them from now on.

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**Thanks so much for reading, I'd love to read your opinion about this one so please review  
**

**If you have any corrections, don't hold back, just fire them at me ;-)**


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